The Midnight Game
by Ikari-Tsukasa
Summary: Gold dares Crystal to a little... game. An old pagan ritual that was used to punish or bring those worshiping sheep to fear. What could possibly go wrong?


"Knock it OFF, Gold!" I roughly pushed him off of me, my breathing coming in hard and quick. The boy in question looked a little hurt but he knew I wasn't ready for that… kind of intimacy. Those eyes of his that always make me melt… they're glazed over with an emotion I can't quite name but he quickly shakes it off before grinning at me boyishly and ruffling up my hair. "Sorry 'bout that Crys, I guess I got carried away." I cross my arms with a heavy sigh before sitting up on the couch to readjust my shirt. "Just… try to be more careful next time alright? Or there won't be a next time." Sensing it was time to give me some space to cool off, he wandered off to my computer that was on the corner desk and left me well enough alone which was appreciated but at the same time I… wanted something from him. I wanted to be held or… something….

Disgruntled after but a few minutes of sitting, I get off of the couch to go see what he's up to and my eyes light up at the title of the article on the screen. My hands clamp onto his shoulders and he leans his head back and flicks those beautiful eyes up to my face and grins. "Oi, Super-Serious Gal… I'll bet you'd never be able to do somethin' like this!" I narrow my eyes at him, only to get him sticking out his tongue at me and just to humor him, I read 'instructions' that were laid out rather methodically. It was called 'The Midnight Game'… and according to the page it was an old pagan ritual that was meant to punish those who have broken the laws of the pagan religion in question. Of course, there was a warning that mental scarring and possible death could occur… and I could feel my heart beginning to beat hard in my chest while I read the instructions to this 'game'.

I knew that if I didn't participate, I wouldn't hear the end of it… and then I got an idea. "Okay Gold… how about this. I'll go ahead with this stupid thing… only if you promise to let me start and finish our…" My face heated up, and I became embarrassed to find that I couldn't even put a name to it, regardless of how innocent it was. Gold concocted that sly grin of his, and winked. "Sounds perfect… and remember – you can't leave the house or turn on any light. You scream and I have to come save you? You lose." It seemed fair enough… and sure the thought of ghosts and the paranormal kind of creeped me out, but I didn't believe in it. Not really, anyways….

"I'll do it… but in the meantime so I can prepare, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Go ahead and wait outside my door around… 11:50 tonight so I can see you at the very beginning to make sure you didn't bail out on me." He laughs and gets out of the chair to kiss me softly on the forehead. "Good luck, Super-Serious Gal…" And suddenly he becomes serious himself and his voice drops to a tone I've never heard him use, "…and don't let the Midnight Man catch you." The temperature in the room seemed to drop and the gaze we held was hypnotic in a way I can't quite explain… and when he turned away and left the frigid air seemed to stay that way and I was rooted to the spot, unable to move.

I'm not exactly sure how long I stood like that… for all I know I blacked out but regardless, as soon as life and light came back to me I began to start the preparations. After glancing at the prerequisites, I couldn't help but wonder why it had to be a wooden door… but didn't stay on the subject for too long and began my quest to hunt for salt, a piece of paper, a tack, a candle, and a book of matches.

Once the items were located, I sat them on the table while I went ahead and sat on the couch to study them for… whatever reason. The candle was fresh, with a nice long wick and a candlestick holder just in case, the can of salt was decent sized with a large enough opening to permit the salt to come out fast enough, but not all at once, and the book of matches – while a little old – still had enough in them and the matches themselves were in good condition. I felt that I was ready… and so now the only thing to do was wait… wait for something that would probably end up making myself look like a fool with Gold videotaping the whole thing, laughing at my general misfortune.

Time passed by slowly enough with no significant events… but when the final hour came near I could feel my heart beginning to become heavier in my chest and I realised that this probably wasn't going to be as simple as I had planned. And then, when it was time I stood and grabbed the necessary items and waltzed to my front door which just so happened to be wooden per the requisites. Jumping the gun, I got everything else ready before staring at the piece of paper with my name written on it and the tack I held firmly in my other hand. With a quick prick, it was over, and the small drop of blood stuck to my finger for a few seconds before dripping down onto the paper below it. Glancing at my clock above the mantelpiece… I knew it was time to begin.

After turning off all of the lights, I felt my way around towards the front door and when I opened it I saw Gold sitting on a chair in my lawn as comfortable as can be. As he was giving me a jovial wave of the hand, I placed the paper down before lighting the candle and placing it atop of the now blood-sodden nametag. I shut the door slowly, hesitatingly… and I realised then that this was it – no turning back now. Super Serious Crystal versus… whatever the hell this thing was supposed to be.

Twenty-two knocks was all it took… and it had to end at midnight. I breathed in… breathed out… and timed myself. One… two… three… all until finally the twenty-second and that was when I continued with step three and opened the door, picked up the candle, blew it out… and then shut it all the while looking at Gold watch me with an expression I couldn't read.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I felt a rush of wind scream across my face and all grew dark and cold. Right, I had to light the candle ASAP… and as soon as I did my eyes were met with a ghastly figure that stared at me with cold, dead eyes before disappearing into the depths of my home. The games had begun.

Now for three hours and thirty-three minutes I had to parade around my domicile, hoping that this 'Midnight Man' didn't catch me but… quite frankly I was feeling rather sure of myself and this whole situation. The wind I felt was probably just an after breeze of my door closing and those eyes were obviously a figment of my imagination because there is no way something like that could exist… right?

A sudden noise calls to my ears – a clattering of sorts in the kitchen and some sort of snuffing noise… and I can feel the skin on my back begin to crawl. Was this thing… hunting me? Trying to smell my fear to find me to rip me to shreds with its hallucinatory attacks? No. That was crazy talk. All of this was a figment of my imagination – none of this was real. Gold would inever/i dare me into doing something dangerous… however I get the hell away from there all the same because, after all, the instructions did say to keep moving.

I move into my room. Safe, familiar territory that doesn't seem to have been trifled with quite yet. Reading the layout on my digital clock, I wince a bit – not even five minutes had passed since the game had started… and I had a long day tomorrow. Why did I let myself fall for this? I traipse around my bed, more than a little tempted to just give up and fall down into the embrace of sweet slumber but I can't. Something's holding me back from doing that.

A flash of movement outside that I can see from my half-shut blinds but closer inspection reveals it's just Gold and he looks… frightened. His eyes are big and bright, and he's trying to look in, trying to tell me something but I can't read his lips all too well and just give up. The best way for me to get to him now is the sliding glass door in the kitchen and… I'm not quite ready to go in there just yet.

The door behind me creeks softly, and I can hear a soft whispering sound saying things in a language I didn't quite understand and my heart jumps to my throat. More sounds pervade around my ears and I can't help but begin to panic but no… I know I mustn't and I slowly tiptoe and slide onto my bed to get onto the other side…

and that's when my light blew out. I can hear a startled gasp from Gold outside indicating he had noticed the disappearance of the candle and my mind is now screaming at me 'TEN SECONDS REMAINING, NINE SECONDS REMAINING!' as I scrounge through my pockets for the damned book of matches until… yes! 'FIVE SECONDS REMAINING!' I know I don't have much time and if it doesn't light at the first chance I get…

It did. As soon as the flame took I got the hell out of there, masking my toddling flame and trying to nurse it back to health. I had to open that door, had to let Gold in to help me I just ihad/i to! I turn the corner into the main hallway and I slip, the candle launching from my hands and a forced mixture of pain and fear throttle themselves out of my throat. All is quiet as tears begin to fall from my face and I shakily create a ring of salt as fast as I can and I realise… that I can't do this anymore. My ankle is twisted and even if it wasn't real the mental images and sounds I'm creating for myself are just too much… too much.

Next to me, the candle goes out which is sort of a mixed blessing because now, at least, the house won't burn down but at the same time if that really iwas/i some sort of divine protection, how much could a circle of salt really protect me from attacks that this… Midnight Man can launch without having to be necessarily right next to you to succeed with?

The air grows cold again. Cold, and heavy, and dark and then I hear something else. A heavy panting sound echoes around me, trying to pry into my ears and it iwont. Go. Away!

What was that? A sudden movement from the corner of my eye and my blood chills to ice. It isn't supposed to get me here, I'm in the damned circle! I should be safe…!

But then I remember one of the warnings. 'Don't get stuck in the circle of salt,' and that's exactly what I was. I was stuck in this shape that may well have been a pentagram I was sitting in with a twisted ankle and my one source of protection much more than an arm's distance reach. A dark humanoid creature slowly approaches me, and the way it moves makes me think of oil… but that can't be right. It has to be a shadow….

It suddenly 'smiles' at me, or at least that's what it seemed like, and it drew closer and closer until I found myself scooting back as best I could with tears running down my face and my heart slamming against my chest and I just wish Gold was here because I iknow/i he would make everything better again and…

…and now everything's dark. I can't see a thing.

…and I finally realised then how horrific my worst fear really was.

The last thing I remember is the sound of my own screams and the shattering of the glass to the sliding door in my kitchen before all hell broke loose and I knew no more than what my mind would let me until the fated hour of 3:33 AM.


End file.
